It wasn't the new-look Mets starting lineup that led to a 10-run night

The New York Mets unveiled a new-look starting lineup on Wednesday night against the Miami Marlins. Harrison Bader was finally rewarded with a jump up to second with Brandon Nimmo getting the day off. J.D. Martinez moved into his spot in third and Pete Alonso dropped to the cleanup spot. Going against their better judgment, the Mets even gave Jeff McNeil the start against a left-handed pitcher. He batted ninth.

The result was a 10-run beating (at home no less) against the hopeless Miami Marlins. Everyone but McNeil had a hit. Everyone either scored or drove in a run. The wealth was spread out.

Was it the lineup change that helped spark the team? Probably not. The Marlins were sloppy. Their pitching was bad. Their defense made more errors than the two in the box score. The Mets looked alive but this was also a severely inferior opponent. Scoring 10 times should be the norm.

The Mets took advantage of a Marlins team they’ve struggled against this season

The Mets are now 2-3 against the Marlins this season. Only the Chicago White Sox have a worse winning percentage than Miami this year. To see the Mets thump all over them shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

As they’ve done often this year, the Mets stacked the lineup with batters from one side. Braxton Garrett never stood a chance even if the analytics said it didn’t matter and the Mets were completely beatable at home.

Mets hitters have taken charge over the last two weeks. Francisco Lindor is 17 for 50. Starling Marte, who has seen his playing time diminish slightly, has gone an even more amazing 16 for 34. Don’t leave out Mark Vientos either. He’s 13 for 43 and leads the team with 10 RBI in this stretch.

Explaining why the Mets have been so bad at home, especially at the plate, is a fool’s errand. The weather excuse isn’t good enough. Wouldn’t warmer weather simply tax the pitching more anyway?

In fight or flight mode with only a month and a half left to go before the trade deadline, beating teams like the Marlins on a regular basis is a must for the Mets to establish themselves as buyers rather than sellers. They’re 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot after Wednesday’s win. Their problem is hurdling as many teams as they must to get into a playoff spot. Only the Marlins and Colorado Rockies trail them in the National League.

What will the Mets lineup look like in the finale against the Marlins on Thursday? Nimmo could go back into the three spot or perhaps they simply keep it as is with Bader dropping back down and the club’s longtime and now former leadoff man hitting second. Nimmo hasn’t performed well hitting third for the Mets. Neither has Francisco Lindor or Pete Alonso. An Achilles Heel for the club in 2024, a larger sample of Martinez in the spot is worth testing to see if maybe last night’s explosion had a little more to do with the lineup than meets the eye.